Walk onto the first tee at the Philadelphia Cricket Club Wissahickon Course and you'll feel it. That weird, heavy sense of history that usually only hits you in old libraries or European cathedrals. It’s not just the grass. It’s the ghost of A.W. Tillinghast.
Tilly was a madman. A genius, sure, but a guy who truly believed that a golf course should be a "feat of engineering" and a "work of art" simultaneously. Most people don't realize that Wissahickon, originally opened in 1922, is basically his home track. He was a member here. He lived nearby. He poured every ounce of his architectural soul into these 18 holes, and for a long time, we almost lost that. Trees grew in the wrong places. Bunkers lost their teeth. The course got soft.
Then came 2013.
The restoration by Keith Foster didn't just "fix" the course; it performed a sort of architectural exorcism. They ripped out thousands of trees to reveal the massive, rolling scale of the land. Now, when you stand on the higher points of the property, you can see across the entire landscape, much like players did in the 1920s. It’s intimidating. It’s beautiful. It’s honestly one of the few places in America where you can play a "Golden Age" course that actually feels like it’s still 1922.
The Tillinghast Touch and Why It Matters
Most golfers know Bethpage Black or Winged Foot. Those are the famous Tillinghast monsters. But Wissahickon is different. It’s more intimate, yet somehow more rugged. What Keith Foster did during the restoration was look at old aerial photographs and Tilly’s original sketches to find the "Great Hazard."
Take the 4th hole. It’s a par four that features a massive, diagonal bunker complex that basically tells you, "Good luck, buddy." You have to decide how much of that sand you can carry. If you’re feeling brave, you aim left. If you’re scared—and most of us are—you play it safe to the right, but then your approach into the green is a nightmare. This is the "Tilly" philosophy in a nutshell: strategic choices that reward the bold and punish the indecisive.
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The greens are the real stars, though. They aren't just flat circles. They have these "shoulders" and "hollows" that make a two-putt feel like a major life achievement. If you're on the wrong side of the hole on a green like the 5th, you might as well be trying to putt down a marble staircase. It's frustrating. It's brilliant. It's exactly how golf was meant to be played before everyone started obsessed with 350-yard drives and flat putting surfaces.
A Club That Predates the Country Itself
People get confused about the name. "Cricket Club?" Yeah. The Philadelphia Cricket Club was founded in 1854. That makes it the oldest country club in the United States. Think about that for a second. When this club started, the Civil War hadn't even happened yet. They weren't even playing golf back then—it was all cricket, tennis, and probably some very intense lawn bowling.
The golf came later, and the Wissahickon course specifically was the club's way of saying, "We’re here to play with the big boys." They have two other courses (St. Martins and Militia Hill), but Wissahickon is the crown jewel. It’s the one that hosts the big tournaments, like the 2016 Constellation SENIOR PLAYERS Championship and various USGA qualifiers.
Walking these fairways feels different because you aren't surrounded by houses. There are no condos lining the 14th hole. No one is mowing their lawn while you’re trying to read a break. It’s just you, the fescue, and the massive Philadelphia oaks. It’s a pure golf experience, which is increasingly rare in an era where every new course seems to be part of a "luxury lifestyle community."
Breaking Down the Modern Experience
Playing Wissahickon today is a lesson in "ground game" golf. Because the restoration removed so many trees, the wind actually moves across the property now. The turf is kept firm and fast. You can’t just fly the ball to the hole and expect it to stop. You have to use the slopes. You have to think about where the ball is going to roll after it lands.
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The 18th hole is one of the best finishers in the country. It’s a long par four that plays back toward the clubhouse, which sits up on a hill like a watchful sentinel. You have to cross a creek—the Wissahickon Creek, naturally—and then hit a long iron into a green that is guarded by deep bunkers. It’s a heroic finish. If you make a par there, you’ll be talking about it for the next three hours at the bar.
- The Restoration: Keith Foster removed roughly 1,000 trees to restore the original vistas and air circulation.
- The Bunkers: They went back to the "rugged" look—frazzled edges, deep pits, and high faces.
- The Greens: Heavily contoured. You need to be a surgeon with the putter.
- The Vibe: Pre-Depression era elegance meets modern championship conditioning.
Honestly, the hardest part about Wissahickon isn't the bunkers or the creek. It’s the mental game. Tillinghast was a master of "visual deception." He would place a bunker in a way that made a fairway look narrower than it actually was, or he’d use a landform to hide the true distance to the pin. You’re constantly second-guessing your yardage. It’s exhausting in the best way possible.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Course
There’s this myth that Wissahickon is only for "elite" players or that it’s too difficult to be fun. That’s nonsense. While it is a championship-caliber test, the restoration actually made it more playable for the average golfer. By removing the overgrown rough and opening up the corridors, you’re much less likely to lose a ball. You might have a terrible angle for your next shot, but you’ll find your ball.
Another misconception is that it’s a "stuffy" place. While the history is deep, the club has a real passion for the game itself. They care about the architecture. They care about the walk. It’s a "walking only" course for the most part, with a world-class caddie program. If you ride a cart at Wissahickon, you’re missing the point. You need to feel the changes in elevation in your legs to understand why Tilly designed the holes the way he did.
The course doesn't rely on gimmicks. There are no island greens or waterfalls. It’s just great land used perfectly. It’s about the "Redan" style features, the "Great Hazards," and the way the shadows fall across the mounds in the late afternoon. It’s a subtle masterpiece.
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Navigating the Best Holes
If you’re lucky enough to tee it up here, pay extra attention to the 7th. It’s a par three that is basically a tribute to the famous "Redan" hole at North Berwick. The green slopes away from you, and there’s a massive bunker guarding the front left. You have to hit a shot that starts right and let the slope of the land carry it toward the hole. It’s a shot you don’t get to hit very often in modern American golf.
Then there’s the 15th, a short par four that proves you don’t need 500 yards to make a hole difficult. It’s all about the green complex and the bunkering. You can try to drive it close, but if you end up in the wrong spot, you’re looking at a bogey or worse. It’s a "thinking man’s" golf hole.
- Check the wind: It swirls in the valley, especially on the back nine.
- Trust your caddie: The breaks on the greens are often the opposite of what your eyes tell you.
- Stay below the hole: Putting downhill at Wissahickon is a recipe for a four-putt.
- Enjoy the walk: Take a second on the 11th tee to just look around. It’s spectacular.
How to Experience Wissahickon
Since it’s a private club, getting on isn't as simple as booking a tee time on an app. You generally need to know a member, or be part of a reciprocal club. However, the club does host several high-profile amateur events and USGA qualifiers throughout the year. If you can’t play it, going out to watch a tournament is a great way to see the architecture up close.
If you do get the invite, show up early. The practice facilities are top-tier, and you’ll want to spend some time on the putting green just to calibrate your brain to the speed and the movement of the turf.
The Philadelphia Cricket Club Wissahickon Course is more than just a place to hit a ball. It’s a living museum. It’s a testament to the idea that sometimes, the best way to move forward is to look back at what made the game great in the first place. Tillinghast knew what he was doing, and thanks to a very dedicated group of people, we can still experience his vision today.
Actionable Insights for Your Visit
- Study Tillinghast: Read up on "The Course Beautiful" before you go. Understanding his design principles like "The Great Hazard" and "Contouring" will make the round much more rewarding.
- Gear Up: Bring your most comfortable walking shoes. The elevation changes are real, and you’ll be doing a lot of hiking.
- Short Game Focus: Spend 70% of your warm-up time on and around the practice greens. The course is won or lost within 30 yards of the cup.
- Respect the History: Take a few minutes to walk through the clubhouse. The memorabilia from the 1800s is staggering and gives you a sense of why this place matters so much to American sports history.
- Check the Calendar: If you aren't a member, keep an eye on the Pennsylvania Golf Association (PAGA) or GAP (Golf Association of Philadelphia) schedules for "Member for a Day" opportunities or amateur tournaments.